Job-seekers go online for employment edge

Supplementing searches with traditional job-hunting techniques can help

by Chad Graham - Jan. 2, 2009 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

Jonathan Chaffin estimates he's applied for 500 jobs posted online during the past few months. The Phoenix resident has received plenty of rejections.

Even getting hired for an entry-level position "seems impossible at this time," said the 25-year-old who graduated from ASU one year ago with a bachelor's degree in global business. "I don't know what else to do."

Trying to score a job through an online search casts a wide net, but candidates can feel as if they've dropped their electronic resume into a black hole.

Human resource departments can seem to be unresponsive. Some jobs that are listed as open have been filled. Posting information can attract scam artists.

The medical insurance billing specialist, with more than 20 years of experience, has been job-hunting since August and has applied to 51 online posts.She is registered on the major career Web sites.

She has started faxing her resume to companies. She's also done plenty of networking.

That's important, career experts say.

Job-seekers must have a strategy beyond just filling out an online application and waiting.

Employers aren't automatically going to come find you, said Alison Doyle, a job search expert from upstate New York who authored 2008's Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online. "You have to be more proactive."

That's critical as more people find themselves out of work.

The national unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent in November from 6.5 percent in October. Some economists predict it could spike to 10 percent in 2009.

 Be software savvy. Your resume and cover letter may never reach a human being. Many companies are using software to filter applications.

That can include having applicants answer basic questions pertaining to set requirements. For example, a department store may need employees to work weekends. A candidate who can't do that may have his or her application automatically rejected.

Companies may also use electronic searches for key words in resumes and cover letters.

That's why, in the application, jobseekers should mimic phrases found in a job description. They should research the company and get a sense of its culture and incorporate that, as well.

Use the preferred phrase and "you're more likely to go to the top of the list."

 Heed the job description. "There's nothing worse . . . than randomly applying for everything," said career expert Doyle. "It's a waste of your time and a waste of the employer's time."

Phoenix-based Arizona State Credit Union, which uses Jobing.com, is hiring mostly for call center employees and tellers. It is seeing 25 to 30 percent more applications than usual.

Some are from people with no banking experience. Others are over-qualified.

"We feel that shows there are a lot of people out there . . . have lost their jobs and are looking for any job, particularly to preserve healthcare benefits," Spokesman Paul Stull said.

Candidates need financial institution background or a minimum of six months cash-handing experience. Without it, the credit union rejects the application.

 Do your homework. Make contact the person making the hiring decision. His or her information might appear on the company's Web site or through a Google search. Or, simply call the company and ask.

A sales rep, for example, might send a resume and cover letter to the vice president of sales.

Even if he or she redirects you to human resources, you're now a known entity, said Jim O'Hara, president and COO of search firm Kellen James in Scottsdale.

"I'm going to be more on the proactive side, specifically if it's a company I want to go to work for."

 It's still all about personal contacts. Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads in Kendall Park, N.J. said once a person has applied online with a tailored application, he or she must "find a friend, acquaintance, alumnus who works in that company."

Business networking sites like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) or networking groups can also help make connections.

While the online job search process can be maddening, there are success stories.

Maricopa resident Merrily Planck, 52, recently found a temporary position with a credit union.

She spent most of 2008 searching online for a job in the banking industry.

She wishes the online application process was more personalized and some companies kept their job listings more current.

As for Jonathan Chaffin, he's put his resume online (www.jonchaffin.com) and is in the process of applying for the MBA program at ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business.

He's making ends meet by selling a swimming pool product.

He's not giving up.

"I believe that I am an exceptional candidate for a company to take into their organization, as I want to start with the company and move my way up to ultimately becoming a CFO," he said.